World Animal Day 2013

Based on Francis of Assisi's feast day, World Animal Day was invented in 1931 during an ecologists' meeting in Florence, near the Italian's birthplace. Every single animal species is meant to be celebrated, so this gives us the excuse to have a really big occasion on our favourite subject, although we can't forget the plants and the rest of living organisms on earth entirely !

All nationalities, beliefs and backgrounds naturally take part, after this long history of a day that must be made use of by every possible animal organisation. Animal rescue shelters and wildlife groups in particular try and enlarge the audience for such an important day of thought and action.

One country stands out as having a different day (April 29th), but we can't begrudge Argentina for having a special day to pay tribute to Dr. Luca Ignacio Albarracin. He helped found the national, "Sociedad Argentina Protectora de Animales," and introduced legislature on animal protection. Both wild and domestic creatures are covered in our day, even though different groups obviously concentrate on special animal areas.

For example, animal education (that's about animals, I think!), stray cats and wild animals in circuses are the subject of activities from the Carolinas to Kazakhstan, from Iceland to India. Many famous faces are involved, so it's important to class yourself as involved, just as children and others will with this counting down screensaver:

It is likely that more writers and scholars have written about Samarqand than any other ancient city. The place teems with ghosts of long-gone civilisers, - and decivilisers, Amirs and zealots, soldiers of both fortune and dedication, but I love it. Thanks, Mohi!

When dolphins are 'rescued' in various countries, the car given seems to be ill-considered. We are simply looking at the success rate which is reported to be low, in most places. They could even end up in commercial aquarium shows, but they certainly rarely make it back to the sea.